Then-Gov. John Hickenlooper declared the shelter dog or cat Colorado’s official state pet in 2013. But if the designation were to ever go to a popular vote, a Golden Retriever would probably win the election.
And her name would be Bella.
MarketWatch Guides combed through 35,000 pet insurance records from PetInsurer to figure out the most popular breeds — out of 311 of them — and the most popular names — you know who you are Bella and Luna — in all 50 states. Dogs labeled mixed, designer or unknown were excluded.
The most popular breed nationally, according to the study, is the French Bulldog. Its compact size and suitability for city living make it popular in places like New York City, San Francisco and Miami.
Although it dominates in heavily populated states like California, New York, Texas and Florida, the French Bulldog doesn’t claim as many states as the Golden Retriever and the Labrador Retriever, which have nine states each to their credit, per the survey.
Besides Colorado, the Golden Retriever is a big deal in Ohio, Illinois, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Maryland. The Labrador Retriever dominates in Washington, Idaho, Alaska, Wyoming and Maine.
Residents in eight states prefer Chihuahuas, while those in six states prefer German shepherds and five prefer Yorkshire terriers. Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky and Minnesota residents are the most original in their breed selections. Delaware is Cavalier King Charles Spaniel; Hawaii is Pomeranian; Kentucky is Shih Tzu; and Minnesota is Goldendoodle.
After the Golden Retriever, the most popular breeds in Colorado are the German Shepherd, Goldendoodle, Labrador Retriever, American Pit Bull Terrier, Shih Tzu, French Bulldog, Yorkshire Terrier, Siberian Husky and Chihuahua.
If people are predictable in their breed choices, they also crowd around similar names. Given that 45% of U.S. households own a dog, originality might not be as easy to come by as it seems.
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Bella is the most popular dog name in Colorado and 21 other states. The analysis found that one out of every 100 dogs in the U.S. is named Bella.
After Bella, comes Charlie, Max, Lucy, Daisy, Penny, Oakley, Dexter, Luna and Buddy in Colorado. Those names make he national list, except for Penny and Oakley, where Coloradans show some creativity.
It’s not that people aren’t trying to be original. Traditional dog names like Spot, Fido and Rover have all fallen out of favor. There were only 21 Spots, seven Fidos and two Rovers out of the more than 35,000 dogs in the survey.
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